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WASHINGTON -- As he drove down the QEW en route to Buffalo Wednesday night, Dominic Moore wasn't harbouring any bitterness toward Maple Leafs management at not granting him an extension.

Nor was he fretting about how he would fit in with his new teammates in the Buffalo Sabres dressing room.

"No, I was just thinking about how nice it was to be playing so close to home," the Thornhill native said in a phone interview yesterday. "It's so close, I could drive my own car down. It's certainly a lot nicer than having to play on the other side of the country.

"I just remember all the times we drove down the same way to go to minor hockey tournaments down there."

PAPERWORK DELAY

Moore did not practise with the Sabres yesterday because his immigration paperwork was not yet in order. He hopes to make his Sabres debut tonight when Buffalo plays host to the Phoenix Coyotes at the HSBC Arena.

When attempts between the Leafs and his handlers to work out a long-term deal came up short, Moore said he knew Tuesday morning that his days as a Leaf likely had ended.

TOUGH TALKS

"Negotiations are always difficult but both sides respectfully agreed to disagree," said Moore, adding that he had no ill-will toward the Leaf hierarchy.

"Working with Ron Wilson definitely was great. And I loved being at home. The fans were great to me. But, at the same time, you have to think about your security. That's a big factor, especially when I think about how I had hit rock bottom not so long ago when the Minnesota Wild put me on waivers."

It is believed one of the offers presented by the Leafs was a three-year pact that totalled about $5.1 million US. Moore, an unrestricted free agent this summer, reportedly was looking for a deal in the neighbourhood of $2.5 million per season.